Italian Wine Guy (95)- "Very mature on the nose it tells notes of red plums, pine needles and toasted hazelnuts. Medium body, slightly dry tannins and a finish that lacks juiciness. Drink now."
Vinous Media (93)- "The 2011 Decima Aurea is surprisingly elegant and poised, especially considering the ripe vintage. A mix of savory exotic spice and white smoke gives way to ripe blackberry and plums and a refreshing hint of mint leaf. It’s silky and polished, gaining tactile grip as tart red and black berries mix with salty minerals, while tannins mount toward the close. The length here is admirable, and there’s beautiful symmetry as well, staining the palate in concentrated dark fruits while flexing its youthful structure. The 2011 needs a few more years to come into focus, but it should drink beautifully for a decade or more thereafter. This single-vineyard, varietal Merlot undergoes partial appassimento and is then refined in French oak for 14 months prior to bottling."
International Wine Review (92)- "The opaque 100% Merlot from a 30 year old, single vineyard is our favorite of the Tenuta Santa Maria wines. It’s a complex wine with a multifaceted bouquet of dried plum, licorice, slate and tobacco. The mouth feel is silky with layers of savory blackberry, underbrush and mineral-like flavors with a firm structure and a super-persistent, rich finish. Made with a partial appassimento of the grapes and matured in barrel for 14 months. "
